Being Humble Like Christ
1So does belonging to Christ help you in any way? Does his love comfort you at all? Do you share anything in common because of the Holy Spirit? Has Christ ever been gentle and loving toward you? 2If any of these things has happened to you, then agree with one another. Have the same love. Be one in spirit and in the way you think and act. By doing this, you will make my joy complete. 3Don’t do anything only to get ahead. Don’t do it because you are proud. Instead, be humble. Value others more than yourselves. 4None of you should look out just for your own good. Each of you should also look out for the good of others.
5As you deal with one another, you should think and act as Jesus did.
6In his very nature he was God.
Jesus was equal with God. But Jesus didn’t take advantage of that fact.
7Instead, he made himself nothing.
He did this by taking on the nature of a servant.
He was made just like human beings.
8He appeared as a man.
He was humble and obeyed God completely.
He did this even though it led to his death.
Even worse, he died on a cross!
9So God lifted him up to the highest place.
God gave him the name that is above every name.
10When the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone will kneel down to worship him.
Everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will kneel down to worship him.
11Everyone’s mouth will say that Jesus Christ is Lord.
And God the Father will receive the glory.
Live Without Complaining
12My dear friends, you have always obeyed God. You obeyed while I was with you. And you have obeyed even more while I am not with you. So continue to work out your own salvation. Do it with fear and trembling. 13God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to fulfill his good purpose.
14Do everything without complaining or arguing. 15Then you will be pure and without blame. You will be children of God without fault among sinful and evil people. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. 16You will shine as you hold on tight to the word of life. Then I will be able to boast about you on the day Christ returns. I can be happy that I didn’t run or work for nothing. 17But my life might even be poured out like a drink offering on your sacrifices. I’m talking about the way you serve because you believe. Even so, I am glad. I am joyful with all of you. 18So you too should be glad and joyful with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19I hope to send Timothy to you soon if the Lord Jesus allows it. Then I will be encouraged when I receive news about you. 20I have no one else like Timothy. He will truly care about how you are doing. 21All the others are looking out for their own interests. They are not looking out for the interests of Jesus Christ. 22But you know that Timothy has proved himself. He has served with me like a son with his father in spreading the good news. 23So I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24And I’m sure I myself will come soon if the Lord allows it.
25But I think it’s necessary to send Epaphroditus back to you. He is my brother in the Lord. He is a worker and a soldier of Christ together with me. He is also your messenger. You sent him to take care of my needs. 26He longs for all of you. He is troubled because you heard he was sick. 27He was very sick. In fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him. He also had mercy on me. God spared me sadness after sadness. 28So I want even more to send him to you. Then when you see him again, you will be glad. And I won’t worry so much. 29So then, welcome him as a brother in the Lord with great joy. Honor people like him. 30He almost died for the work of Christ. He put his life in danger to make up for the help you yourselves couldn’t give me.
Koyi tawali’un Kiristi
1In kuna da wata ƙarfafawa daga tarayya da Kiristi, in da wata ta’aziyya daga ƙaunarsa, in da wani zumunci da Ruhu, in da juyayi da tausayi, 2to, sai ku sa farin cikina yă zama cikakke ta wurin kasance da hali ɗaya, kuna ƙauna ɗaya, kuna zama ɗaya cikin ruhu da kuma manufa. 3Kada ku yi kome da sonkai ko girman kai, sai dai cikin tawali’u, ku ɗauki waɗansu sun fi ku. 4Bai kamata kowannenku yă kula da sha’anin kansa kawai ba, sai dai yă kula da sha’anin waɗansu ma.
5A cikin dangantakarku da juna, ya kamata halayenku su zama kamar na Kiristi Yesu.
6Wanda, ko da yake cikin ainihin surar Allah yake,
bai mai da daidaitakansa nan da Allah wani abin riƙewa kam-kam ba,
7amma ya mai da kansa ba kome ba,
yana ɗaukan ainihin surar bawa,
aka yi shi cikin siffar mutum.
8Aka kuma same shi a kamannin mutum,
ya ƙasƙantar da kansa
ya kuma zama mai biyayya wadda ta kai shi har mutuwa,
mutuwar ma ta gicciye!
9Saboda haka Allah ya ɗaukaka shi zuwa mafificin wuri
ya kuma ba shi sunan da ya fi dukan sunaye,
10don a sunan Yesu kowace gwiwa za tă durƙusa,
a sama da a ƙasa da kuma a ƙarƙashin ƙasa,
11kowane harshe kuma yă furta cewa Yesu Kiristi Ubangiji ne,
don ɗaukakar Allah Uba.
Haskaka kamar taurari
12Saboda haka, ya abokaina ƙaunatattu, kamar yadda kullum kuke biyayya ba kawai sa’ad da ina nan ba, amma yanzu da ba na nan tare da ku, ku ci gaba da yin ayyukan cetonku da tsoro da kuma rawan jiki, 13gama Allah ne yake aiki a cikinku, don ku nufa ku kuma aikata bisa ga nufinsa mai kyau.
14Ku yi kome ba tare da gunaguni ko gardama ba, 15don ku zama marasa abin zargi, sahihai ’ya’yan Allah, waɗanda ba su da laifi, a zamanin mutane karkatattu, kangararru, waɗanda kuke haskakawa a cikinsu kamar fitilu a duniya 16kuna kuwa cin gaba da riƙe maganar rai domin in yi taƙama a ranar Kiristi cewa ban yi gudu ko fama a banza ba. 17Amma ko da ana tsiyaye jinina kamar hadaya ta sha a kan hadaya da kuma hidimar da take fitowa daga bangaskiyarku, ina murna ina kuma farin ciki da ku duka. 18Haka ma ya kamata ku yi murna ku kuma yi farin ciki tare da ni.
Timoti da Afaforiditus
19Ina sa rai a cikin Ubangiji Yesu cewa zan aika da Timoti zuwa gare ku ba da daɗewa ba, don ni ma in ji daɗi sa’ad da na ji labarinku. 20Ba ni da wani kamar sa, wanda yake da ainihin sha’awa a zaman lafiyarku. 21Gama kowa yana lura da al’amuran kansa ne kawai, ba na Kiristi Yesu ba. 22Amma, ai, kun san darajar Timoti yadda muka yi bautar bishara tare, kamar ɗa da mahaifinsa. 23Saboda haka, ina sa rai, in aike shi da zarar na ga yadda abubuwa suke a nan. 24Ni kuma ina da tabbaci a cikin Ubangiji cewa zan zo ba da daɗewa ba.
25Amma ina gani ya dace in aika da Afaforiditus, ɗan’uwana, abokin aikina da kuma abokin famana, wanda kuma yake ɗan saƙonku, wanda kuka aika domin yă biya mini bukatuna. 26Gama yana marmarin ganinku duka ya kuma damu domin kun ji cewa ya yi rashin lafiya. 27Ba shakka ya yi rashin lafiya, har ya kusa mutuwa. Amma Allah ya nuna masa jinƙai, ba shi kaɗai ba amma har da ni ma, don yă rage mini baƙin ciki kan baƙin ciki. 28Saboda haka na yi niyya ƙwarai in aike shi wurinku, don sa’ad da kuka sāke ganinsa za ku yi murna, ni kuma in rage damuwa. 29Ku marabce shi cikin Ubangiji da farin ciki mai yawa, ku kuma girmama mutane irinsa, 30domin ya kusa yă mutu saboda aikin Kiristi, ya yi kasai da ransa don yă cikasa taimakon da ba ku iya yi mini ba.
